Economic and Social Structures Notes

Economic Systems and Tribute in Indigenous Societies

Overview

1. Indigenous societies across the Americas developed complex and efficient economic systems long before European contact.
2. These economies were based on tribute, communal landholding, agriculture, and trade, all shaped by the natural environment and social hierarchy.
3. Unlike Europe, wealth was often measured in goods, labor, and relationships—not coins. Economic activity supported religion and politics, reinforcing the power of rulers and priests.

Tribute as a System of Taxation

1. Many empires, such as the Aztecs, built their power on tribute, a form of tax paid by conquered peoples.
2. Tribute could take many forms: food crops like maize or potatoes, luxury goods such as jade or feathers, and in some cases, human captives for ritual sacrifice.
3. This system allowed empires to grow rich without directly controlling every field or farmer.
4. Tribute sustained the army, funded religious ceremonies, and filled the storehouses of nobles and temples. It was a clear sign of submission to imperial authority.

Landholding and Agricultural Production

1. Land in most Indigenous societies was not privately owned, as it often was in Europe. Instead, it was held communally by extended families, clans, or the state.
2. The Inca Empire divided land into three parts
   1. one for the state,
   2. one for religion,
   3. and one for the people.
3. Everyone was expected to farm for all three, a system that blended civic duty with spirituality.
4. Agriculture formed the backbone of the economy.
   1. The Aztecs built chinampas (floating gardens) to farm on lake surfaces, creating year-round harvests.
   2. The Incas used terraces carved into the mountains to conserve soil and water, turning the Andes into fertile farmland.
5. These innovations supported large populations and reduced dependence on imported food.

Trade and Exchange Networks

1. Indigenous economies functioned through trade as much as tribute.
2. The Aztecs ran bustling city markets such as Tlatelolco, where goods from across the empire were bartered daily.
3. The Incas used their vast road system and llama caravans to move goods, resources, and laborers across thousands of kilometers.
4. Many societies had no coin-based currency. Instead, they relied on barter (the direct exchange of goods and services) or on tribute relationships that created economic and political bonds.
5. This made trade not just an economic act but a form of diplomacy and alliance-building.

Social Hierarchies and Economic Control

1. Economic power mirrored social structure.
2. Nobles and priests controlled land, labor, and tribute, while commoners and farmers produced the goods that sustained the empire.
3. The elite distributed wealth through festivals, temples, and military rewards, reinforcing loyalty and social order.
4. Economic systems were therefore inseparable from political power and religion. A ruler’s wealth was proof of divine favor.

Economic Diversity and Adaptation

1. Geography determined economic specialization:
   1. Coastal peoples relied on fishing and trade.
   2. Valley and plateau communities farmed intensively.
   3. Highland groups herded llamas and alpacas.
2. Despite these differences, regions were interconnected through tribute and exchange, forming large economic networks that tied the Americas together long before European arrival.